George staley



2 Sheets-Sheet l. G. STALEY.

CORN POPPER (No Model.)

No. 468,102. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. STALIEY. CORN POPPER.

No. 468,102'. Patented Peb. 2, 1892.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE STALEY, OF VERSAILLES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES1I. MASON, OF SAME PLACE.

CORN-POPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,102, dated February2, 1892.

Application filed October 12, 1891. Serial No. 408,491. (No model.)

To all woont it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, GEORGE STALEY, a citizen of theUnited States7residing at Versailles, in the county of Morgan and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Corn- Popper, of which the following' isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in corn-poppers, and the objectsin view are to provide apopper which will automatically dur ing therevolutions of the popper separate the popped from the nnpopped corn anddeliver the same from the popper to any waitinO receptacle, and toretain the nnpopped corn wit-hin the popper until the same has beenproperly popped by the heat.

\Vith these objects in view the invention consists in the certainfeatures of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a corn-popperconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of the same, the discharge being closed. Fig. 3 isa similar view, the discharge being open, the cylinder being in theposition it assumes previous to discharging. i

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the gures of thedrawings.

The base 1 is provided at its rear side with the vertical wall orstandard 2 and supports a burner 3, adapted for the combustion ofgasoline, gas, or other explosives. From the standard 2 projectslaterally a shaft '4., and mounted for rotation upon the shaft is acylindrical hub 5, whose ends pass through central openings of a pair ofopposite heads G. These heads are nearly circular, with the exception ofa pair of tangentially-disposed notches 7' formed in their edges andlocated opposite each other, and their edges are connected from theinner angle of the notches around to the end of the notch by means of areticulated wire wall 8. The heads are connected at intervals by propertie-bolts 10, whereby they are maintained a proper distance apart. Thewire wall 8 at the inneredge of the notch 7 is continued by areticulated 'Wire wall 11, the mesh of which is considerably coarserthan that of the wall 8 and large enough to permit of the largest ofnnpopped grains of corn to drop therethrough. This wall 11 is abruptlycurved within the popping-cylinder for a portion of its length andterminates just short of the linely-reticulated wall 8 ot the cylinder ashort distance in advance of the notches in the opposite heads, therebyforming an intermediate opening 20. Opposite this point an opening 12 isformed in the wall S and is provided with a suitable metal binding forpreservation of the edges thereof. Bearing-ears are located upon theheads 6 at the opposite sides and at the lower edges of the opening 12,and in the same a transverse shaft 13 is mounted and adapted to looselyrock. This shaft carries a door or shutter 1l, adapted to close eitherthe opening l2 or the opening 2O in accordance with the position thecylinder may occupy. The outer end ot the rod 13 is bent to form a crank15, and at its extremity carries a small weight 16. This completes theconstruction, with the exception of a cranlehandle 17, extending fromthe outer head 6 of the popping-cylinder; or any othersuitable means foroperating the cylinder may be provided.

In operation the corn is fed into the cylinder through the opening 1S,formed by the notches in the head, and is thus exposed directly to theaction of the llame, being kept in constant agitation as the cylinderslowly revolves. As the cylinder revolves, the corn, following the outerwall 8, is directed thereby through the opening 2O to the space inclosedby the wall 11, reaching that position just as the door 14. uncloses theopening 2O and closes the opening 12. the coarse wall and is carriedaround by the same, the nnpopped corn falling through its meshes back tothe main compartment. As the coarse wall reaches an inclined ordischarging position, the door swings from over the opening 12, forminga continuation of the wall, and thus the popped corn escapes into thewaiting pan. A guide-lip extending from the rod 13 diametricallyopposite the door 1l is curved so as to guide the corn into thereceptacle 19, seated upon the base l. As the cylinder further revolves,so as to pass .beyond the pan or receptacle, the weight of the doorfalls by gravity and closes the same over The corn is now caught byV VSOthe opening l2, so as to direct the corn along t-hrough opening 2O tothe space inclosed by the Wall ll, Where Vthe operation is repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the inner Wall llforms a pocket and is curved so thatin conjunction with the wall S thecorn is made to traverse a spiral path and is discharged at the end ofsaid path if it b e'popped, or if unpopped is returned to position forpopping. In this manner a unilorm popping of the corn is secured and thecorn is not discharged until the proper time, and the hard unpoppedkernels commonly iound in pop corn and so injurious and disagreeable areWholly avoided.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a corn-pepper, thecombination, with the bearings, of the opposite heads n otched atopposite points, the reticulated Wall leading from the outer end of thenotch around to and continued beyond the angle of the notch andterminating short of and opposite an opening formed in itself, thatportion of the wall beyond the angle of the 'notch being coarser thanthe remaining portion of the wall, a door hinged to the opening oppositewhich the Wall terminates, and means for automatically closing said dooralternately over the two openings of the Walls, substantially asspecified.

2. In a corn-popper, the combination, with the bearings, of the oppositeheads tangentially notched at opposite points, the reticulated Wallleading from the outer end of the notches around to and continued beyondthe angle of the notch and terminating opposite an opening formed initself, thus forming an inner compartment, that portion of the Wallbeyond the angle of the notch being coarser than the remaining portionof the Wall, a weighted rod journaled in bearings opposite the openingin the Wall, and a door adapted to be closed by gravity when the inneror coarse portion of the Wall has passed its discharging position and toopen thereby when at such position, substantially as speciled.

3. The combination, With the base provided with the vertical standardandthe transversely-disposed spindle, of the tubular hub mounted forrotation upon the spindle, the' opposite heads mounted upon the ends ofthe hub and having the opposite tangential notches, the reticulated Wallconnected to the opposite edges of the heads and leading from the outeredges of the notches around the heads beyond the angles of the notches,a coarser Wall connected at this point and curved for a portion of itslength and then extended straight to a point opposite but short of adischarge-opening formed in the first-mentioned Wall in front of thenotches, ears located opposite the opening, a rod journaled in the earsand having one end laterally bent to form a crank-arm, a weight mountedon -the arm, and a door mounted on the rod and adapted to alternatelyclose the dischargeopenings in the two Walls and to close that of theouter wall When theinner Wall is in other than a discharging positionand close the openings between the two walls when in a dischargingposition, substantially as specied.

4. The combination, withthe base provided with the vertical standard, ofthe transverselydisposed spindle of the tubular hub mounted for rotationupon the spindle, the opposite heads mounted upon the ends of the huband having the opposite tangential notches, the reticulat-ed Wallconnected to the opposite edges of the heads and leading from the outeredges of the notches around the heads beyond the angles of the notches,a coarser Wall connected at this point and forming an inner compartmentand extending to a point opposite but short of the discharge-openingformed in the first-mentioned Wall in frontot the notches, cars locatedopposite the opening, a rod journaled in the ears and having one endlaterally bent to form a crank-arm, a Weight mounted on the arm, a doormounted on the rod and adapted to close the dischargeopening in theouter Wall when the inner Wall is in other than a discharging positionand when in such discharging position to open by gravity and close theopening between the end ot' the inner coarse Wall and the outer finerWall, and the curved lip located upon the rod opposite the door,substantially as specified.

5. In a corn-popper, a cylinder having a covering of tine Wire providedwith a receiving and adischarging opening, combined with means forrotating the cylinder,acoarse-Wire screen leading from thereceiving-opening to the discharge-opening, a door hinged to thedischarging-opening, and means for automatically closing the door whenthe coarse vscreen is at other than adischarging position, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE STALEY. Witnesses:

J No. W. KNoor, DAVID A. SHANK.

IOO

